Aretha Franklin, a Life of SoulAs a little girl, Aretha Franklin was put on a footstool so the audience in her father's church could see her perform Gospel. It's likely congregants had no trouble hearing the pastor's daughter sing — or remembering her beautiful voice. In an interview with NPR's Juan Williams, the Queen of Soul's discusses "Respect" and other highlights. Hear samples of her classics plus songs from her new CD, So Damn Happy.

As a little girl growing up in Detroit, Aretha Franklin was put on a footstool so the audience in her father's church could see her perform Gospel. It's likely congregants had no trouble hearing the pastor's daughter sing — or remembering her beautiful voice. In an interview with NPR's Juan Williams, the Queen of Soul's discusses "Respect" and other highlights of her four-decade career.

Last fall, Franklin added to her long list of artistic honors — which have included more than a dozen Grammy awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Kennedy Center honor — with a spot on the BET Walk of Fame. The 61-year-old singer/songwriter says she's "scaling back" the number of concert dates she does each year, but that she's "not retiring — never retiring."